Frightened Rabbit, Aberdeen Warehouse
Frightened Rabbit
December 2, 2009
Out in that big ol’ world there are a great many bands that split opinions, and here at MG, we’re no exception – to see proof of this just look for the editor’s dissenting opinion in the staff vote on albums of the year. However, perennial favourites Frightened Rabbit are one of the few bands that enjoy near-universal popularity here [Ed - true, see this live review for starters]; and judging by the crowd at The Warehouse, we’re not alone in our love of their Scottish indie-cum-folk.
The impact of the packed venue is not lost on singer Scott Hutchinson, who appears speechless at the scale of the following his band had amassed, during opener ‘The Modern Leper’, and a fact that eventually creates the highlight of the night. The band play the majority of their 2008 album, The Midnight Organ Fight, alongside a couple of tracks from their forthcoming album, The Winter Of Mixed Drinks. However, even with a setlist of respectable length, the set seems short. The feeling of brevity is a by-product of the energy poured into the show by a band that seem, after a year with an impressive tour diary, to have genuinely maintained a sense of excitement when playing their songs.
The true highlight of the night comes during the encore. The full band return to the stage, after a solo Scott Hutchinson performance of ‘Poke’, and launch into ‘Keep Yourself Warm’. It takes two lines before the band realise that their singing is superfluous to proceedings; with 800 people singing every word, Scott takes a step back, holding his head in his hands. I’ve been finding it difficult to put into words exactly ‘why’ this gig is so special, but it’s this moment that did it for me. The response from the crowd, combined with the performance, mingles into one hair-raising spectacle. The band display the perfect interaction with their fans, and show how a performance cannot be purely one-sided to create a show to stick in the memories of everyone involved.
There are some problems however, and it is notable that the PA doesn’t seem to meet the requirements of the band, with a nasty reverb occurring whenever a bass note is struck; it leads me to wonder whether the band have outgrown such small venues, and as to whether 2010 will be the year they are promoted to the big-time venues. Here’s hoping…
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